Mold forming and centrifugal casting apparatus



March 2, 1965 s. FARR ETAL 3,171,171

MOLD FORMING AND CENTRIFUGAL CASTING APPARATUS Original Filed Feb. 2, 1959 2 She'ets-Sheet 1 2 J| es 2 L4 lNVENTORS Felion Siewart Farr 8| Richard Lemur Stephens March 1965 F. s. FARR ETAL MOLD FORMING AND CENTRIFUGAL CASTING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Feb. 2, 1959 INVENTORS Felton Stewart Farr 8| a material.

finely divided mold forming material into the flask. In

United States Patent 3,171,171 MOLD FORMING AND CENTRIFUGAL CASTING APPARATUS Felton Stewart Farr, Anniston, Ala., and Richard Lamar Stephens, Haines City, Fla., assignors to Herman Pneumatic Machine Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Continuation of application Ser. No. 790,607, Feb. 2,

1959. This application Aug. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 307,762 '1 Claim. (1. 22-20) This invention relates to mold forming and centrifugal casting apparatus. It relates particularly to mold forming and centrifugal casting apparatus which has especial utility in the making of large diameter centrifugally cast products such as pipe, e.g., pipe having a diameter of at least about six inches. The invention is well adapted for the forming of molds for and the centrifugal casting of cast iron soil pipe, both single and double hub. This application is a continuation of our copending application Serial No. 790,607, filed February 2, 1959, now abandoned.

We employ a plurality of flasks and advance the flasks from station to station in a progressive production line operation, successively performing at the respective stations steps which result in production of a mold of finely divided mold forming material in each flask and centrifugal casting of an article in the mold. The cast article is thereafter ejected or discharged from the flask. The flasks preferably move in a continuous closed path back to the starting station so that the operation is continuous and can be carried on uninterruptedly so long as the supply of mold forming material and molten material for casting is maintained. While the molten material which we contemplate will normally be employed is cast iron, other molten or liquid materials which solidify upon cooling, such, for example, as certain of the plastics, may be employed.

We form the molds out of finely divided mold forming material by the use of novel apparatus. The finely divided mold forming material will ordinarily be what is known to those skilled in the art as foundry sand which is a special known type of sand treated in known manner to adapt it for mold formation.

Our mold forming apparatus may comprise a flask, a first operating station at which the flask is adapted to be disposed, means at the first operating station for introducing finely divided mold forming material into the flask when the flask is disposed at that station to form in the flask a tubular body of relatively uncompacted finely divided mold forming material, a second operating sta- 'tion, means for shifting the flask with such tubular body of relatively uncompacted mold forming material therein to the second operating station and means at the second operating station compacting the tubular body of mold forming material to form a mold. The means at the second operating station may comprise a mold forming material compacting mandrel together with means for introducing the mandrel into the tubular body of relatively uncompacted mold forming material in the flask,

means for rotating the flask and means for relatively transversely moving the mandrel and flask while the flask is rotating so that the mandrel compacts the mold forming material against the flask to form a mold.

We preferably provide in combination with the flask a pattern and means for introducing the pattern generally centrally into the flask so that the finely divided mold forming material introduced into the flask is disposed about the pattern to form in the flask a tubular body of relatively uncompacted finely divided mold forming We preferably provide means for projecting a preferred structure our mold forming apparatus comprises means for projecting finely divided mold forming material, a flask, a carrier for the flask, means for moving the carrier to position the flask to receive finely divided mold forming material projected by the projecting means, a pattern, means for advancing the pattern to introduce the pattern generally centrally into the flask so that the projected mold forming material forms in the flask about the pattern a tubular body of relatively uncompacted finely divided mold forming material and means for compacting themold forming material in the flask to form a mold.

Desirably the mold forming material projecting means is arranged to project generally horizontally the finely divided mold forming material and a generally horizontal guideway is provided on which the flask carrier is movable to position the flask to receive finely divided mold forming material projected by the projecting means.

We further provide mold forming and centrifugal casting apparatus comprising a flask, a first operating station at which the flask is adapted to be disposed, means at the first operating station for introducing finely divided mold forming material into the flask when the flask is disposed at that station to form in the flask a tubular body of relatively uncompacted finely divided mold forming material, a second operating station, means for shifting the flask with such tubular body of relatively uncompacted mold forming material therein to the second operating station, means at the second operating station compacting the tubular body of mold forming material to form a mold. a third operating station, means for shifting the flask with the mold therein to the third operating station and means at the third operating station for rotating the flask with the mold therein at centrifugal speed and introducing into the mold material which is centrifuged in the mold and solidified to form a hollow product.

We desirably provide means for simultaneously elevating a plurality of flasks with molds therein at the receiv ing station, moving the elevated flasks generally horizontally to a position above the casting station and lowering the flasks at the casting station. Such means for elevating, moving horizontally and lowering the flasks may comprise shuttle beam means. The shuttle beam means may comprise a flask supporting structure which moves substan tially vertically upwardly at the receiving station, substantially horizontally to a position generally above the casting station and substantially vertically downwardly at the casting station delivering the pluralityof flasks substantially simultaneously from the receiving station to the casting station.

Similar shuttle beam structure may also be used elsewhere in our apparatus and indeed the shuttle beam structure has in and of itself wide utility.

We further provide apparatus for continuously forming in flasks molds of finely divided mold forming material and casting products in the molds comprising means for circulating a series of flasks one after another in a closed path, preferably in a substantially vertical plane, means at a station along said path for introducing into the flasks finely divided mold forming material toform in the flasks tubular bodies of relatively uncompacted finely divided mold forming material, means at another station along said path for compacting the tubular bodies of mold forming material to form molds, means at another station along said path for rotating at centrifugal speed the flasks with the molds therein and introducing into the flasks material which is centrifuged in the molds and solidified to form hollow products and means at another station along said path for discharging the products from the flasks, the flasks after discharge of the products therefrom moving along said path to the first mentioned station. In an optimum form our apparatus comprises means for circulating a series Patented Mar. 2, 1965' of flasks one after another in a closed path, means at a station along said path for introducing into the flasks one at a time finely divided mold forming material to form in the flasks tubular bodies of relatively uncompacted finely divided mold forming material, means at another station along said path for compacting one at a time the tubular bodies of mold forming material to form molds, means for assembling a plurality of flasks with molds therein at another station along said path, means at such station for simultaneously rotating at centrifugal speed said plurality of flasks with the molds therein and introducing into the flasks material which is centrifuged in the molds and solidified to form hollow products and means at another station along said path for discharging the products from the flasks, the flasks after discharge of the products therefrom moving along said path to the first mentioned station.

Our present preferred form of mold forming and centr'ifugal casting apparatus comprises operating stations to which flasks are adapted to be moved in sequence, a first operating station having means for forming in a flask a mold of compacted finely divided mold forming material, the operation at the first operating station requiring unit time, means for receiving a plnralityof flasks with molds of compacted finely divided mold forming material therein from the first operating station and delivering such plurality of flasks to a second operating station, the second operating station having means mounted at a fixed location for simultaneously centrifugally casting articles in the plurality of flasks containing molds of compacted finely divided mold forming material formed at the first operating station, the operation at the second operating station requiring a time which is the product of said unit time and the number of flasks in which the centrifugal casting is simultaneously carried out at the second operating station, minimizing down time at both stations and effecting maximum productiveness.

Other details, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description of a present preferred embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings we have shown a present preferred embodiment of the invention in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of mold forming and centrifugal casting apparatus;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical longitudinal cross-sectional view taken on the line IIII of FIGURE 1 with parts omitted for clarity of showing of other parts;

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1 as viewed from the left-hand side of that figure, with parts omitted for clarity of showing of other parts;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical transverse cross-sectional view taken on the line IV-IV of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic elevational view of a shuttle beam structure;

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of the shuttle beam structure shown in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken on the line VII-VII of FIGURE 6; and 7 FIGURE 8 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken on the line VIIIVIII of FIGURE 6.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, an elevator 2 (FIGURES l and 2) is adapted to receive an empty flask at a raised position as shown in solid lines in FIGURE 2 and lowers the flask to the chain line position of that figure in which the flask is disposed substantially at the operating level and is adapted to be advanced through the successive stations of the apparatus for formation of a mold in the flask, casting of a product in the mold and ejecting of the product from the flask, all of the stations receiving flasks in assembly line fashion where the various operations are performed thereon so that at all times every part of the line is performing a function forming part of the overall method and contributing to the final result.

Rails 3 extend from the lowered position of the elevator 2 shown in FIGURE 2, and a pusher 4 pushes the flask off of the elevator and onto the rails 3. The rails are slightly downwardly inclined in the forward direction (the direction away from the elevator 2). After pushing the flask off of the elevator onto the rails 3 the pusher 4 is retracted and the elevator 2 returns to its upper or solid line position shown in FIGURE 2 ready to receive the next flask. The elevator 2 and pusher 4 acting together perform their cycle of functions in what may be termed unit time, i.e., a predetermined space of time which will be referred to in connection with the other steps of the method as the description proceeds.

The flask delivered by the pusher 4 from the elevator 2 onto the rails 3 rolls along the rails until it engages a stop 5. The stop holds the flask until the next station is ready to receive it. The dwell of each flask on the rails 3 against the stop 5 may be of unit time.

The stop 5 iswithdrawn downwardly to allow the flask disposed thereagainst to roll onto a carriage 6. Each flask has flanges 7, and the carriage 6 has portions 8 lying inside the flanges 7 and engaged thereby as shown in FIGURE 3 whereby the flask is held on the carriage against endwise movement relatively thereto. Also the carriage has formed thereon a saddle as shown at 9 in FIG- URE 2 which receives the flask to predeterminedly position it in the direction transversely of the saddle.

When the flask is properly positioned on the carriage the carriage and flask are moved to the left viewing FIGURE 3 by a piston in a cylinder 10 until the lefthand end of the flask engages and seals against a sealing surface 11 on a machine for blowing finely divided mold forming material into the flask, and which for convenience will be termed a sand blower, designated generally by reference numeral 12 in FIGURES 1 and 3. After the flask is in sealed relation to te sand blower a second carriage 13 moving on rails 14 advances parallel to the axis of the flask and introduces centrally into the flask a pattern 15 which is in the form of a cylinder as shown in FIGURE 3. The carriage 13 moves to the left, viewing FIGURE 3, until its sealing surface 16 seals against the right-hand end of the flask, at which time a centering member 17 on the sand blower enters a socket 18 in the end of the pattern 15 whereby the pattern is properly positioned and braced within the flask. The parts are held in tightly sealed relationship by maintaining fluid pressure on the piston in the cylinder 19 which moves the carriage 13 and pattern 15 into cooperative relationship withthe flask and sand blower.

With the parts thus held in sealed and braced relationship sand is blown into the flask about the pattern 15 by the sand blower 12. The sand thus blown into the flask about the pattern forms in the flask a tubular body of relatively uncompacted sand. Yet as the sand is preliminarily treated as known to those skilled in the art and is compacted to some extent by its impact as it is blown into the flask it substantially maintains the form of a tubular body of relatively uncompacted sand even when the pattern 15 is withdrawn, which is the next step after blowing the sand into the flask. The withdrawal of the pattern 15 is effected by the piston in the cylinder 19 which moves the carriage 13 to the right to the position in which it is shown in FIGURE 3. Thereupon the piston in the cylinder 10 is operated to move the carriage 6 toward the right to the position in which it is shown in FIGURE 3. The flask then contains a tubular body of relatively uncompacted sand. The operations described at the sand blowing station require substantially unit time.

The flask containing the tubular body of relatively uncompacted sand is moved ahead from the sand blowing station by an arm 20 pivotedat 21 and operated by a piston in a cylinder 22. The piston moves the arm 20 upwardly about its pivot 21 and unseats the flask from the saddle 9 and moves it onto a saddle 23 of a shuttle tion toward the bottom of FIGURE 1.

beam 24 having substantially identical parallel shuttle beam elements 24a and which also has a second saddle 25. At the time when the flask is delivered to the saddle 23 of the shuttle beam 24 the preceding flask is disposed at the saddle 25.

The structure of the shuttle beam is the same as that of a second shuttle beam presently to be described and which is shown in detail in FIGURES 58. The shuttle beam structure will not be further described at this time except by pointing out that in operation the saddles 23 and 25 lift the flasks substantially straight upwardly, then advance the flasks in the forward direction and then lower the flasks substantially straight downwardly. The amplitude of advance of the shuttle beam 24 is such that the flask which is delivered by the saddle 25 comes to rest on rails 26 against a stop 27 and the flask which is delivered by the saddle 23 comes to rest in a cradle formed by rollers 28 from which on the next cycle it is picked up by the saddle 25 of'the shuttle beam. The flask is centered to the rollers 28 by its flanges 7 similarly to the centering of the flask at the sand blowing station.

When the flask is positioned in the cradle formed by the rollers 28 and centered against endwise movement relatively to the rollers by its flanges 7 a piston in a cylinder 29 moves a carriage 30 in the direction toward the top of FIGURE 1, the carriage 39 having a generally vertical guideway 31 in which operates a carrier 32 carrying a freely rotatable mandrel 33. Such movement of the carriage moves the mandrel 33 into the flask substantially axially of the tubular body of relatively uncompacted sand therein. At the same time a carriage 34 is by suitable means not shown moved in the direc- The carriage has a generally vertical guideway 35 in which operates a carrier 36 carrying a freely rotatable centering member 37. Movement of the carriage 34 in the direction toward the bottom of FIGURE 1 simultaneously with the movement of the carriage 30 toward the left causes the mandrel 33 to be positioned generally centrally within the flask, and the centering member 37 enters a socket 38 in the end of the mandrel, thus positioning and bracing the mandrel in the flask. The rollers 28 are driven to rotate the flask and means not shown such as piston and cylinder means operating synchronously are employed to move the respective carriers 32 and 36 downwardly in the respective guideways 31 and 35 causing the mandrel 33 to engage the sand in the flask and compact the sand therein to form a mold. Either single or double hub pipe may be formed as desired by providing a mandrel and centering member of suitable shape to appropriately form the ends of the sand mold in the flask and subsequently employing a core or cores as known to those skilled in the art.

It will be noted that the downward movement of the mandrel exerts generally downward pressure against the sand in the flask, which pressure is resisted by the rollers 28. In view of the direction in which the pressure is exerted there is no danger of unseating the flask from the rollers during compacting of the sand. As the sand is being compacted the mandrel turns freely due to contact with the sand in the rotating flask, the flask being rotated by driving the rollers 28 as above described.

When the sand has been compacted in the flask the carriers 32 and 36 are moved upwardly to position the mandrel 33 and centering member 37 substantially axially of the flask whereupon the mandrel is withdrawn in the direction toward the bottom of FIGURE 1 and the centering member is Withdrawn in the direction toward the top of FIGURE 1. The flask is left to lie freely in the cradle formed by the rollers 28 with a compacted sand mold in it, and upon the succeeding operation of the shuttle beam 24 that flask and mold are delivered onto the rails 26 against the stop 27.

A second shuttle beam 39, operating in the same general manner as the shuttle beam 24 but having four saddles instead of two, is provided. The shuttle beam 39 has substantially identical parallel shuttle beam elements 39a 'and has four saddles designated respectively 40, 41, 42

and 43. Each flask which has come to rest against the stop 27 is by downward retraction of that stop allowed to advance against a stop 44 as the rails 26 are slightly downwardly inclined in the direction of advance. When the stops 27 and 44 are momentarily retracted downwardly simultaneously the respective flasks which lay against those stops roll down the rails 26 until the forward flask lies against the stop 45 and the following flask (the one which was last against the stop 27) lies against the stop 44. The flasks lying against the stops 44 and 45 are disposed directly above the saddles 40 and 41 of the shuttle beam 39. At the same time other flasks are disposed in the cradles formed by rollers 46, 47 and 48 above the saddles 42 and 43 respectively. Upon operation of the shuttle beam 39 the flasks above the saddles 4i) and 41 are lifted up by those saddles and moved into the cradles formed by the rollers 46, 47 and 4S and the two flasks which had been in those cradles are advanced and set down on rails 58 against stops 49 and 50 respectively.

The flasks are maintained in position against relatively axial movement on the rollers 46, 47 and 48 in the same manner as on the rollers 23. A core or cores is or are applied to each of the flasks depending upon whether single or double hub pipe is to be formed. Actually the cores may be and preferably are applied before the flasks are set down in the cradles formed by the rollers 46, 4'7 and 43; this may be done when the flasks lie against the stops 44 and 45. The flasks lying in the cradles formed by the rollers 46, 47 and 48 are rotated at centrifugal speed by rotating the rollers 46, 47 and 48 at high speed by suitable driving means such for example as one or more electric motors 51. A carriage 52 is advanced from left to right viewing FIGURE 4 by operation of a piston in a cylinder 57 and introduces a pouring spout 53 into the left-hand end of each of the two flasks disposed in the cradles formed by the rollers 4-6, 47 and 43. A measured amount of molten material to be cast is disposed in each of two ladles S4 pivotally mounted on the carriage at 55, and when the pouring spouts before inserted into the flasks and the flasks are rotating each ladle is tilted by a piston in a cylinder 56 to discharge its contents into the corresponding pouring spout 53 whence it is delivered into the corresponding rotating mold. The material thus introduced into each mold is centrifuged in the mold and solidified to form a hollow product such as a length of soil pipe which as above explained may be either single or double hub.

After the material to be cast has been introduced into the molds at the casting station as just described the carriage 52 is withdrawn to the left by operation ofthe piston in the cylinder 57 leaving the two flasks with the cast products therein ready to be lifted from the cradles formed by the rollers 46, 47 and 48 by the shuttle beam 39 depoisted against the stops 49 and 50 as above described.

It will have been noted that at the casting station products are cast in two flasks simultaneously. This is because the operations performed at the casting station take a longer time than the operations performed at other stations, actually about twice as long (double unit time). By operating upon twoflasks simultaneously at the casting station while at the other stations the flasks are operated on one by one we eliminate lost time and our method is highly eflicient.

The rotation of the flasks at the casting station continues until the material has solidified to such 'an extent that rotation is no longer necessary to maintain the shape of the incipient products although the products could not then be ejected from the flasks since without the support of the flasks they would not mm'ntain their shape. After the flasks are delivered against the stops 49 and 59 they are subsequently released by those stops and allowed to roll down the rails 58, which are downwardly inclined in the forward direction, and to accumulate, one flask against another, the series of accumulated flasks being disposed against a stop 59. During their movement downwardly along the rails 58 the flasks and the products therein gradually cool so that when a flask reaches the stop 59 it is cool enough to be ejected from the flask.

The stop 59 is operated to allow the flasks to roll one by one down the rails 58, each flask being stopped in turn by a stop 60 at a product discharging station where the cast pipe or other product is discharged from the flask. At the product discharging station the flask is held against endwise movement by engagement of its flanges 7 with the rails 58 and a piston in a cylinder 61 operates a pusher 62 which pushes the product out of the flask in the direction toward the bot-tom of FIGURE 1, the product being received by a conveyor or chute 63 represented diagrammatically in FIGURE 1 whence the product is conveyed away for further processing.

After the product has been discharged from each flask the stop 60 is retracted downwardly and the flask rolls to an intermediate station where it is temporarily stopped by a stop 64. Upon. release of the flask by downwar retraction of the stop 64 the flask rolls down onto an elevator 65 which elevates it from the solid line position to the chain line position shown in FIGURE 2. When the flask hasbeen elevated to the chain line position it is pushed off of the elevator by a pusher 66 operated by a piston in a cylinder 67. The flask is pushed onto rails 68 which as shown in FIGURE 2 are inclined to the horizontal sufficiently that the flask will roll slowly down the rails. Fasks may be gathered at the lower ends of the rails 68 against a stop 69 and released one by one to roll onto the elevator 2 for repetition of the cycle. Thus the flasks are in continuous movement about a closed generally vertical path, each flask having a mold formed therein and a product cast in the mold each time it traverses the closed path. The operations at the various stations except at the casting station consume unit time while the operations at the casting staion in the example method herein disclosed consume twice unit time, wherefore two flasks at a time are delivered to the casting station and have products simultaneously cast therein and are delivered together away from the casting station. This provision prevents the casting station from becoming a bottleneck in the overall continuous or production line method and insures steady step by step movement of the flasks throughout the process.

The shuttle beam structures and their operation have especial utility in our process as the flasks are moved substantially straight up in the initial operation of the shuttle beam, are then advanced substantially horizontally and are then moved substantially straight down. This enables the flasks to be seated in and unseated from the cradles formed by the rollers which support and rotate the flasks at the compacting and casting stations.

The shuttle beam structure incorporating the shuttle beam 39 is shown in detail in FIGURES -8. It is to be understood that the shuttle beam structure incorporating the shuttle beam 24 is of the same general construction except that it has only two saddles 23 and whereas the shuttle beam structure for the shuttle beam 39 has four saddles 40, 41, 42 and 43. Of course the amplitude of advancing movement of the shuttle beam 39 is greater thanactually about doublethe amplitude of advancing movement of the shuttle beam 24 but otherwise the two shuttle beam structures are analogous in structure and function. Each of the shuttle beam structures includes shuttle beam elements24a and 39a, respectivelyspaced apart in the direction along the axes of the flasks being handled so that the flasks are supported and advanced by the shuttle beams in generally horizontal position. For simplicity FIGURES 5-8 show only one of the shuttle 53 beam elements 39a and it will be understood that one or more similar elements arranged parallel thereto is or are provided and operates or operate synchronously therewith.

Referring to FIGURES 5-8, the base upon which the shuttle beam structure is mounted is designated 7 t). The base 7t} is stationary and a part of the supporting structure for the apparatus as a whole. Mounted upon the base 70 by brackets 71 are flanged supporting and guiding rollers 72 which form parallel generally horizontal guideways upon which are carried for movement in the transverse direction viewing FIGURES 5 and 6 intermediate members 73, one upon each such guideway. Only one guideway, intermediate member and shuttle beam element are shown in FIGURES 58. Each intermediate member 73 is of generally inverted T shape having a body and a head 74. The head 74 is of a width to be guidingly received between the flanges of the rollers 72 as shown in FIGURES 7 and 8. The intermediate member 73 rests at all times upon the rollers 72 and is adapted to move upon such rollers transversely viewing FIGURES 5 and 6 as above mentioned. The body 75 of the intermediate member 73 extends vertically upwardly from the head 74 and has welded thereto at opposite sides thereof at spaced intervals therealong plates 76 constituting inclined surface means adapted in cooperation with portions of the shuttle beam element 39a presently to be described to constitute inclined surface connections between the intermediate member and the shuttle beam. The inclined plates 76 extend upwardly from the head 74 of the intermediate member 73 and terminate in generally horizontal portions 76a clearly shown in FIGURE 5.

The shuttle beam element 39a is of generally inverted U shape as shown in FIGURES 7 and 8 and has at intervals therealong rollers 77 journaled thereon and disposed at the inner faces of the legs thereof as shown in FIGURES 7 and 8. The rollers 77 are in opposed pairs and the longitudinal spacing of the pairs of rollers is the same as the longitudinal spacing of the inclined plates 76 as clearly shown in FIGURE 5. The shuttle beam element straddles the body of the intermediate member and the rollers 77 are adapted to roll on the head 74 of the intermediate member and on the plates 76. It will be seen, viewing FIGURE 5, that if the shuttle beam element 3% is held against transverse or longitudinal movement while the intermediate member 73 is moved to the right shuttle beam element 39a will move upwardly as the rollers 77 will ride up on the inclined plates 76. If the movement is stopped when the rollers are disposed upon the horizontal portions 76a the shuttle beam element 391: will be supported at a predetermined elevation above its initial elevation while its horizontal orientation is undisturbed throughout its movement.

A cylinder 7 8 is pivoted at 79 to a bracket 80 mounted on the base 70. A piston operates in the cylinder and has a piston rod 81 pivoted at 82 to a bracket 83 carried by the shuttle beam element 39a. Movement of the piston in the cylinder 78 causes transverse movement of the shuttle beam element 39a relatively to the stationary base 70, viewing FIGURE 5.

A cylinder 84 is pivoted at 85 to a bracket 86 carried by the shuttle beam element 39a. A piston operates in the cylinder and has a piston rod 87 pivoted at 88 to a bracket 8? carried by the intermediate member 73. Movement of the piston in the cylinder 84 causes movement of the intermediate member 73 generally in the direction of its length relatively to the shuttle beam element 39a.

The operation of the shuttle beam structure will now be described. It will be understood that FIGURE 5 is taken looking in the direction opposite the direction in which FIGURE 2 is looking so that advance of flasks carried by the saddles 40, 41, 42 and 43 is from right to left viewing FIGURE 5. As the parts are shown in that figure the shuttle beam element 390 is in its downwardly retracted position with the saddles in the positions in which they are shown in FIGURE 2, the saddle 40 being under a flask disposed on the rails 26 against the stop 44, the saddle 41 being under a flask disposed on the rails 26 against the stop 45, the saddle 42 being under a flask sup ported in the cradle formed by the rollers 46 and 47 and the saddle 43 being under a flask supported in the cradle formed by the rollers 47 and 48. In order to pick up and advance the flasks as above described the first operation is to move the intermediate member 73 to the right viewing FIGURE 5 while the shuttle beam elements 39a is held against longitudinal movement. This is accomplished by moving the piston in the cylinder 84 to the right while the piston in the cylinder 78 is held stationary. The intermediate member 73 is moved to the right and the rollers 77 roll up on the inclined plates 76 and ultimately reach a position on the horizontal portions 76a at which time movement of the intermediate member toward the right is stopped. The result has been substantial although not exact vertically upward movement of the shuttle beam element 3%. The upward movement of the shuttle beam element is accompanied by a change in angularity of the cylinder 78 which causes a slight movement of the shuttle beam element generally in the direction of its length but movement is negligible for practical purposes and the movement of the shuttle beam element is so nearly exactly vertical that the flasks in the cradles formed by the rollers are lifted up out of the cradles formed by the rollers to positions clear of the rollers and high enough above the rollers to prepare for the next step which is the advancing f the shuttle beam element 39a from its initial raised position to a position in which the saddles 40 and 41 are above the cradles formed by the rollers 46, 47 and 48 and the saddles 42 and 43 are above the positions in which they can set down their flasks on the rails 58 substantially against the stops 49 and 50.

The advance of the shuttle beam element 39a is effected by movement of the piston in the cylinder 78 to the left viewing FIGURE while the piston in the cylinder 84 is held stationary. Both the intermediate member 73 and the shuttle beam element 39a are moved to the left together, the intermediate member as always remaining supported by the rollers 72 and the shuttle beam element being supported upon the intermediate member with the rollers 77 on the horizontal portions 76a of the plates 76. The advancing movement of the shuttle beam element 39a is stopped when the saddles are in the desired positions above explained whereupon the piston in the cylinder 84 is moved to the left viewing FIGURE 5 and the rollers 77 roll down the inclined plates 76 with the result that the shuttle beam element 39:: moves substantially, although not exactly, vertically downwardly and deposit the flasks in the positions above referred to. It will be understood that when the shuttle beam element is in its lowermost position as shown in FIGURE 5 its saddles 40, 41, 42 and 43 are below and out of 10 contact with all of the flasks. At that time the piston in the cylinder 78 is moved to the right viewing FIGURE 5 shifting the intermediate member 73 and the shuttle beam element 39a together back toward the right to the starting position ready for repetition of the cycle.

Thus our shuttle beam structure has especial utility in a process as above described in which it is important that the flasks be moved substantially vertically before and after they are advanced longitudinally in order to lift the flasks from and deposit them into the cradles formed by the supporting rollers which rotate the flasks at the compacting and casting stations. Our shuttle beam structure is, however, of wider utility and may be otherwise embodied.

While we have shown and described a present preferred embodiment of the invention it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scope of the following claim.

We claim:

Mold forming and centrifugal casting apparatus comprising operating stations to which flasks are adapted to be moved in sequence, a first operating station having means for forming in a flask a mold of compacted finely divided mold forming material, the operation at the first operating station requiring unit time, means for receiving a plurality of flasks with molds of compacted finely divided mold forming material therein from the first opcrating station and delivering such plurality of flasks to a second operating station for casting and solidification, the second operating station having means mounted at a fixed location for simultaneously centrifugally casting and solidifying articles in the plurality of flasks containing molds of compacted finely divided mold forming material formed at the first operating station, the operation at the second operating station requiring a time which is the product of said unit time and the number of flasks in which the centrifugal casting is simultaneously carried out at the second operating station, minimizing down time at both stations and effecting maximum productiveness, the number of means for simultaneously centrifugally casting and solidifying articles at the second operating station being equal to the number of means for forming molds at the first operating station multiplied by the quotient of the operating time at the second operating station divided by the operating time at the first operating station.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,631,342 3/53 Romine 22-20 2,960,735 1.1/ Whitsell 22-20 MICHAEL V. BRINDISI, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,171,171 March 2, 1965 FeltonStewart Farr et a1.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 2, line 31, for "mold." read mold, column 4, line 36, for "te" read the"; column 6, line '58, for "depoisted" read deposited column 7, line 34, for "Fasks read Flasks line 42, for "staion" read station column 8, line 46, before "shuttle" insert thecolumn 9, line 9, for "elements" read element line 22, after "but" insert such Signed and sealed this 3rd day of August 1965.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Aitcsting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

